By the Hands of the People
by LeviathanRising
Summary: Caught up in the nationalistic fervor that swept Europe in 1848, Arendelle has revolted, dethroning the royal family that has ruled for centuries, and imprisoning the queen and her sister in Oslo. Prussian forces march on Arendelle, intent on rescuing what remains of the Kingdom's dynasty. For the rebels, there is only one option. Queen Elsa and Princess Anna must die.
1. Chapter 1

**_I wrote this initially for the amusement and possibly anger of some reddit buddies, but I decided maybe I should post it here too. It was a stream of consciousness type thing that I wrote up in a few hours after reading about the execution of Tsar Nicholas II and his family by the Cheka during the Russian Revolution._**

**I don't own _Frozen, _Disney owns _Frozen,_** **no copyright infringement intended, all that stuff.****  
**

* * *

_"C'mon Elsa! Catch me!"_

_Anna slipped, tumbling into the snow and giggling. Elsa leapt up onto a snow bank, and then onto her little sister, tackling her to the ground. The five-years-old redhead let out a little shriek, and then flipped over to face the blonde, still laughing and trying in vain to fight her off._

_Suddenly, a great synchronized thumping sounded in the distance, almost like thunder, but not quite so intense. Both girls turned in the direction of the ominous sound, quizzical expressions quickly blossoming on their faces._

_"What is that Elsa?"_

Before the older girl could respond, Anna snapped awake, bolting up in her small, rigid cot, her head throbbing. The princess' heart sank as she became cognizant of her true surroundings, and of the ominous thumping's source. Soldiers' boots. The sound grew louder as the men approached Anna's cell, finally coming to an abrupt stop when a group of about ten appeared outside of the barred door, muskets cradled in their arms and hard, brutal expressions etched onto their faces.

She recognized the man at the head of the troops, it was the same Captain that had arrested her and her sister in Oslo three months prior. That had been almost a year after the revolution had broken out. Fueled by liberalism and fear of Elsa's magic and inspired by the revolutions also sweeping the German Confederation, Denmark, and beyond, the rebels had quickly gained popular support throughout much of Arendelle, massing a formidable people's army by September of 1848.

The "war" had not lasted long, government forces had dealt a few blows to rebel militia, but the public opinion was greatly in favor of the opposition, and the Queen and Princess had been forced to flee to Oslo in mid-November. A certain Colonel Johansson's men had surrounded the city weeks later, cutting off all supplies and aid, leaving nothing but to wait for the inevitable surrender.

Despite the urgings of her cabinet to use her powers against the revolutionaries, Elsa had refused to fight against her own people. She had allowed herself and Anna to be taken prisoner by the newly christened People's Army of Arendelle.

So they had languished here in prison for months, unable to see each other, treated like common criminals, and belittled by their captors on a daily basis.

For all three months Anna had lived in constant fear and worry, worry that her sister was injured, or that they would never see each other again, and a thousand other things besides.

But a week ago, she had heard something that had chilled her to the bone, causing her to sink to even deeper levels of desperation, and multiplying her feartenfold.

Two soldiers had walked past the dungeons, and though she had heard only snippets of their conversation, and only for a few moments, it was enough to terrify the princess and ensure her that, indeed, something horrible would befall her and her sister.

"The Prussians are advancing on Arendelle….Johansson says they aim to rescue the queen and princess….because they are of German blood…no, we cannot allow that…no…perhaps we cannot stop them from taking the city…but we cannot allow their rescue."

Anna had sunk to the floor of her cell, breathing hard, her eyes watering, begging God or _someone _to please rescue her from her predicament.

She fought hard not to remember her history tutor's lessons on the French Revolution, or the fate of King Charles of England, but it was futile. If the Prussians were heading towards Oslo in an attempt to defeat the rebels and rescue what remained of Arendelle's royalty, then the revolutionaries would do anything to prevent that. And if the city could not be held, there was only one way to do so.

For the first time in forever, Anna curled up and cried.

Over the next few days, Anna had managed to push the thought out of her head to some extent. Maybe the rebels would just move them to another city. They couldn't _really _kill her and Elsa. Nobody would be that cruel! They hadn't done anything wrong!

Yes, who could truly blame the girl, who had known only luxury for all the days of her life for being unable to accept her impending end? She only did what so many others do when faced with death; deny herself the truth. It was only natural.

But as the soldiers stood outside her cell, a boot heel clicking every now and again, the fear that had filled her that night quickly returned. He throat was dry, her eyes began to water once more, and her body began to shake with sobs.

The cell door slid open with a great rattle, and one of the men tossed her something. She did not catch it, rather putting up her hands to protect her face, and then reaching down and shakily pulling what she now saw to be an amorphous cloth from the floor.

It was a dress. A _nice_ dress. Not like the coarse, plain fabrics she had been given since her arrival in the prison. It was easily a match for what she had worn back home, and even if just for a moment, it gave her a sense of comfort, of home.

She quickly slipped on the black garment, embroidered with red rosemaling, and then simply stood there, staring at the soldiers, her eyes pleading.

"Let's go." The captain barked, and Anna obediently stepped out of the cell, taking her place in the midst of the men, surrounded on all sides, with no chance to escape. She lowered her head and quietly followed them out of the dungeons.

_No, _she thought to herself, _They're just taking you to another city, it'll be okay. Elsa will be there too, I know it. Maybe they'll let us be together this time. Or…or maybe…maybe they're exchanging you to the Prussians. Yes…maybe…_

Her feeble attempts at self-comfort proved futile. Her mind was splitting with terror.

She swallowed, tugging on the sleeves of one of the soldiers.

"E…excuse me s…sir, where are we going?"

The soldier didn't answer, simply staring directly ahead, his musket balanced against his shoulder, the bayonet glinting in the sunlight that streamed through the small barred windows scattered through the halls.

"Sir?..."

He still did not turn to look at her, but instead said quickly; "Please, just walk."

As they finally exited the grand castle, Anna's wall of denial crumbled completely.

The back wall of the castle's courtyard was stained red, the stone wounded by musket balls all across the length of the garden. Puddles of hard, dried blood littered the ground, attesting to the many bloody deeds carried out here.

Before she could react, try to run, _something_, another door into the castle swung open, disgorging another contingent of soldiers. And Elsa.

Elsa was garbed in a similar dress, but this one was pure black, without a speck of color to it. Despite her situation, her head was held high, and her expression set. The air of beauty and majesty about her than Anna had come to know and adore was still there.

Before any of the men could make a grab for the princess, she shoved through the two closest guards and ran to her sister. One of the soldiers yelled after her half-heartedly, but none stopped her.

She reached the former queen and threw her arms around her, crying.

"Elsa..." Hot tears streamed from her big blue eyes and down her face as she spoke.

"Elsa I'm scared."

Before her sister could reply, the captain came up, grabbing her arm roughly and yanking Anna away.

"Stand there."

He gestured towards the bloodstained wall. Anna shook her head in terror.

"No…please…please…just one more moment…please."

"Go!"

The captain shoved her roughly, urging her onward with the stock of his musket. Hardly able to think through panic and fear, she complied.

"You too" he said, addressing Elsa. Elsa merely nodded, calmly walking to her end.

When she reached the weeping redhead, Elsa quickly took her into her arms, running a hand through her hair and speaking soothingly to the younger girl.

"Anna, Anna, look at me, it's okay…it's okay."

"I…I don't want to die…please…I…I"

Elsa's heart tore at Anna's misery, it took all of the resolve built up over thirteen years of isolation not to join her sister in tears.

Instead, she forced a smile, cupping Anna's cheeks and staring into her eyes.

"Look, we'll see mama and papa again, won't that be nice?"

Elsa wiped a tear from Anna's eye, before it had a chance to make it's cruel journey down the princess' face.

Anna sniffled, meeting the blonde's gaze.

"Y…you promise?"

_I don't know Anna, I don't know what comes after._

But she didn't say that.

"I swear, they'll be there waiting for us, and we'll never be apart again. "

The soldiers across the courtyard took up their positions, all in a line, muskets still pointed at the grass, but primed and ready to fire.

"On my mark" the captain snapped. Elsa would have liked to believe there was a hint of remorse in his voice, but she couldn't be sure.

"Elsa…" the tears began again.

"Just look at me, okay? Don't look at them, just focus on me."

Anna nodded, staring into Elsa's light blue eyes.

"Just look at me. It's okay. Don't cry, for me. Please don't cry."

Anna held back her anguish and terror, forcing herself not to look across the courtyard, at her murderers.

_Just focus on Elsa, just focus on Elsa._

The captain extended his arm sharply, the signal.

The muskets were raised and aimed, the bayonets pointing menacingly at the sisters.

"E…Elsa…I love you."

Elsa planted a kiss on the top of the princess' head.

"I love you too, and I always will."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Uploaded this long ago on reddit, but decided it should at last be together with the first chapter in the story.**_

**Warning for rather graphic character death.**

* * *

As quickly as it had bellowed forth from the muskets, the foul smoke that hung heavy in the courtyard air dissipated, allowing the early morning light to illuminate the soldiers' bloody work.

The queen had fallen first, evidently, lying motionless on her side in the grass, a quickly widening red stain surrounding her prone form.

Her sister had followed quickly, spread across Elsa's body, their blood mingling together in the dust.

The firearms were lowered slowly, the last puffs of black smoke still wafting from the barrels.

Just as a macabre sense of grim finality began to lower itself onto the now quiet garden, the eyes of the soldiers were drawn towards the corpses of their victims. Or supposed corpses, for Princess Anna, ever so slightly, but still quite noticeably, was stirring.

Her would-be-executioners watched in horror as she shifted position laboriously, struggling to put an arm around her quite dead sister's neck. Soft, quiet sobs drifted hauntingly across the courtyard, carried on the chilly winter winds.

The men stood in silence as they watched the final child of the House of Arendelle painfully struggle towards death.

Even the captain was at loss for words, he only stood with the rest, his musket hanging limply.

As Anna managed to snuggle up to the body of the dead queen, still weeping quietly, one of the soldiers, a fusilier, started forward.

No one called after him.

He reached Anna in seconds, gently slipping the toe of his boot under her side, which expanded and retracted laboriously with each breath, and quickly flipped her over onto her back.

The moment he turned her, he stared into great teal eyes, overflowing with pain and anguish and pleading. Her little button nose flared with each breath, her plump cheeks flushed bright red. One of the musket balls had struck her in the stomach, just below her rib cage, another in her left shoulder, and a final one in her right thigh.

None were immediately fatal, merely painful, very painful.

The soldier nudged the body of Elsa away with his foot, eliciting a moan of protest from Anna, who was too far-gone to speak. She opened her lips, breathing heavily, attempting to talk. She couldn't. The damage was too great, and it took all of her fleeting life force merely to inhale the crisp January air.

The soldier placed one boot on either side of the princess, fighting his hardest to maintain the stone, emotionless expression he wore on his face.

Anna tried to speak one more time, and now she managed to mouth a word or two. To the soldier it sounded-or rather looked-like; "please".

So many different things she could be begging for, and the soldier wanted to think of none of them. So he drove his bayonet deep into the redhead's body, directly below her sternum, a spurt of crimson exploding from the newly formed wound.

Anna couldn't scream. She was far too weak. All that came was a sharp gasp of pain, as her blue eyes went wide, and she convulsed violently in the dirt.

The soldier winced. The blow had not been deep enough, nor placed correctly.

How imposing he must look to the poor girl, his grey coat blowing in the wind, and his shako blotting out the sun, the menacing firearm aimed towards her with lethal intent.

Silent tears flowed down her face and melted into the dust as he drew his bayonet back once more, for the final stroke.

With a grunt of effort, he sank the steel into the Princess' chest with a sickening crunch, as bone splintered against the hard metal and muscle tore against the sharp edge.

This time, the cruel blade found its awful mark, piercing the princess' heart.

Anna coughed. And then she was gone. Her eyes still stared at the fusilier, but the princess did not.

As the sun ascended ever higher into the heavens, the monarchy of Arendelle perished forever.

"Long live the Republic!"


End file.
